Top 10: Fatal Screwups

In the sporting world, fatal screwups are those athletes who sh*t the bed at crucial moments during games. Fatal screwups could also be the act or instance of something going terribly wrong. When fatal screwups strike at the end of a playoff series or in a championship game, the consequences are dire. So, although every athlete drops the ball from time to time, our top 10 fatal screwups participated in misguided moments when the stakes were high.

Number 10

Fred Brown

On March 29, 1982, the NCAA Championship Game was an old-fashioned barn burner. Michael Jordan’s North Carolina Tar Heels were pitted against Patrick Ewing’s Georgetown Hoyas, and with 30 seconds to play, UNC was down by one and had the ball. Despite the tension, it was a pretty uninspired possession; the ball ended up with Michael Jordan, who stepped into a 20-foot jumper with 17 seconds on the clock. Of course, the ball hit nothing but net, which put the Tar Heels up by one.

With time remaining, Georgetown brought the ball up the floor with the game in their hands. Unfortunately for the Hoyas, Fred Brown wasn’t the clutch player that MJ was — actually, Brown ranks among our favorite 10 fatal screwups because of this clutch-less play. With the clock winding down, he picked up his dribble, looked around, and then passed the ball to a wide open James Worthy, who played for North Carolina. The final score: 63-62, North Carolina.

Number 9

Leon Lett

In the 1993 Thanksgiving Classic, the Dallas Cowboys led the Miami Dolphins 14-13 with 15 seconds left on the clock. Miami had the ball lined up for a 41-yard field goal, which was blocked and apparently sealed a Dallas victory. However, with the ball sitting on the Dallas 7-yard line, waiting for the play to be blown dead, Dallas’ Leon Lett joined our list of fatal screwups when he inexplicably dove toward the ball, thereby making it a live ball. To make matters worse, Dallas had a freak snowstorm, which made the field wet and the ball slippery. When the ball slipped through Lett’s hands like a wet fish, Miami recovered and kicked the game-winning field goal.

Number 8

Roy “Wrong Way” Riegels

In the 1929 Rose Bowl, the California Golden Bears faced the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. During the second quarter, Georgia Tech’s Jack “Stumpy” Thomason fumbled the ball on his own 30-yard line.

Riegels, who played for the Golden Bears, picked up the fumble and ran 65 yards toward his own end zone — and became a favorite among fatal screwups. Chased the whole way by his teammate Benny Lom, Riegels thought Lom was a greedy bugger and yelled at him: “Get away from me! This is my touchdown!” Although Lom finally stopped “Wrong Way” Riegels at the 3-yard line, where he was then hit by numerous Tech players and pushed back to the 1-yard line, California eventually had to punt from their end zone. The punt was blocked for a safety, which gave Georgia Tech two points in a tight game that ended 8-7 for Tech.